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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28758951">(Don’t) Wake me from this dream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvercolour/pseuds/silvercolour'>silvercolour</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Asexual Character, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, More tags to be added but these are all the important ones, Sleeping Beauty AU, curse-related horror, discussions of consent, fairytale AU, in which Jon is ace and Martin is demi, magical curses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:42:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28758951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvercolour/pseuds/silvercolour</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sleeping Beauty AU</p>
<p>Martin has been cursed to sleep until his true love comes and wakes him with a kiss. Jon is just here to do his job, not to be a hero thank you very much– and he isn’t interested in kissing anyone, but least of all a complete stranger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, background Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(Don’t) Wake me from this dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Aspec Archives week, day four: using the prompts choice and AU</p>
<p>Okay I didn’t think I was going to write anything for aspec archives week, but then I saw today’s prompts while I was listening to a Certain Music Album about Fairytales, wherein a Certain Space Pirate says “I’m not going to kiss a sleeping stranger, [Nastya], that’s really fucking creepy”. And since I love that line with all my heart, it made me decide to write this tma AU for the event!</p>
<p>A NOTE on aspec-ness in this fic: Jon’s opinion on kissing is that it’s fun, in the same way hugging a close friend is fun. No objections to kissing, (except kissing strangers, which is a reasonable objection to have in any case imo), but he is unlikely to initiate. He is ace-subtype: no thank you, and Martin is demisexual, although this fic will remain sfw. Martin will be sleeping for part of the fic, but that doesn’t mean he and Jon won’t get to talk about things. What can I say; it’s fairytale logic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away… Jon supposes that’s how stories like these usually start. Stories about enchanted castles, filled with sleeping people, and someone there to rescue them. </p>
<p>They are the kind of story that happen Not Here, and Not To Jon.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the sleepers, he isn’t there to rescue anyone. You see, Briar castle has been cursed for what must be a century now, and while it’s sleepers neither change nor die, the castle itself is not so impervious. The castle’s keeper, a Mr Lukas (first name as yet unknown to Jon) has taken on his family’s job of making sure the castle remains standing, ready and waiting for the day it’s sleepers wake.</p>
<p>The reason Jon is here is that he was sent (or more accurately, ordered) by Jonah Magnus of the Magnus institute himself. Apparently looking after the castle came with a lot of paperwork that has to be available for the sleepers when they wake, should they wish to bore themselves to sleep again. But for the sleepers to do so, the archives would first need to be sorted, reordered, and stored in such a way that they might last another century.</p>
<p>Jon is currently on the receiving end of a tour of the castle, while Tim and Sasha set up camp in the library-cum-archives. Quite literally <em> setting up camp</em>, as the bedrooms are apparently all occupied by sleepers, which would make sense, as they’ve seen no sleepers anywhere. Jon is very glad that the well known horror stories of almost-dead-sleepers lying where they fell in the corridors have proven untrue. </p>
<p>The work on the archives will begin tomorrow, but their absent host deemed it important that Jon, as Head Archivist, know the layout of the entire castle. At least, that is what his tour guide, one immaculately-suited Elias Bouchard, told them. He then proceeded to whisk Jon away on a circuit of the castle, most of which he will likely forget before they make it back. </p>
<p>Just before they could leave the library on their tour Tim jokingly told Elias that if he slept in tomorrow, that was definitely the curse and not Tim sleeping in, and just to let him sleep. Jon had been about to get angry at Tim’s work ethic, when Elias said, in a perfectly normal tone: “Of course, Mr Stoker. I wouldn’t dream of waking <em> you</em>.” The words sounded pleasant enough, but something in Elias’ face made Tim blanch. When Jon looked back to Elias all he saw was a politely fake smile. “Shall we, Jon?” And so Jon followed him out without saying anything.</p>
<p>It’s become clear that Elias enjoys the sound of his own voice. He seems to know for each room who Sleeps there, what their jobs were (and will be), as well as a <em> very </em> complete history of all the previous occupants of this castle. He doesn’t stop talking as they move from room to room, barely appearing to pause for breath. Jon can barely remember the route they’ve taken, never mind whose bedrooms they have passed along the way.</p>
<p>They are currently climbing a spiralling staircase with intricate hand-carved railings, and have been for what feels like an age. They must have climbed several floors by now, but they’ve passed no doors since they entered the stairwell of the tower. Jon has stopped listening to his private tour a while ago, when he hears Elias say: “...which is why this is the eastern tower, even though it faces more south than east. And the next stop is our beloved linchpin- the thing that keeps everyone here, and keeps some of us in a job.” A wry smile crosses his lips, as though the concept of keeping a job is a private joke.</p>
<p>“The- what linchpin?” Jon asks before he can stop himself. The last question he asked spurred Elias into a detour around the second floor, and a half-hour long explanation of the antique but perfectly preserved stained glass windows on that floor.</p>
<p>Instead of answering, Elias simply looks back at Jon over his shoulder, raises a single eyebrow as though the answer should be obvious, and continues climbing those blasted stairs. Jon is left with no choice but to follow. He could probably find his way back to the library-archives on his own, but it would take forever to find his own way back, and upsetting their hosts isn’t worth it in any case.</p>
<p>When they reach the landing an ornate door awaits them, and Jon feels a moment of sympathy for whatever workmen or crafters had to get that door all the way up here. Elias remains unusually quiet while he opens the door and expectantly gestures Jon inside ahead of himself.</p>
<p>Beyond the door lies a room so stuffed with cushions and knick-knacks that it takes Jon a moment to realise that he is stepping into a bedroom. The curtains are drawn almost entirely closed, but the afternoon provides enough light to see the room still. The half the walls are lined with shelves, and the shelves are covered in anything anyone might care to collect. There are books, of course, old and leather-bound. There are several collections of stones, some of them precious, some of them simply chosen because of a pleasing shape. There are feathers, and dried flowers, and statues large and small, and small painted boxes that no doubt contain other treasures. The two chairs the room has are buried under so many cushions that it’s hard to tell what colour they are.</p>
<p>Between the large windows and the door, in the middle of the room, is a giant bed. Its canopy is draped in blue velvet curtains, matching the blue silk that covers the bed. A pile of more brightly coloured pillows attempts to hide the bed’s occupant from view, but the white nightgown betrays his presence. Asleep on the bed is a man, and though he is both tall and large, the sheer size of the bed dwarfs him. He looks peacefully asleep, though his pose lacks the natural relaxation of a normal slumber.</p>
<p>“May I introduce,” Elias speaks up, suddenly standing right behind Jon. “The linchpin that keeps this whole castle in it’s lonely stasis: our Sleeping Beauty. Jon, this is Martin.”</p>
<p>“<em>Martin</em>,” Jon softly repeats the name. It’s a good name, a strong name. It suits the man lying there on the bed. Jon catches himself thinking that, and mentally shakes himself. The whole Briar castle has been weird, but this? This is beyond strange. He is looking at a sleeping man, has been introduced to him, and yet Martin may never know him. More importantly, Martin hasn’t had any say in their presence inside his bedroom.</p>
<p>Unaware of Jon’s thoughts, Elias strides further into the room, and even –Jon physically flinches at his actions– <em> sits down on the bed. </em> He continues his tour-guide-talk as though they haven’t just invaded someone’s private room: “What do you think of the set-up of the room Jon? Isn’t it perfect? When our long-awaited hero arrives they will walk in, and see their true love’s face, kiss Martin awake, and live happily ever after. Isn’t that how the stories go? Naturally, we’re not sure that that is how this will work out, but it seemed only reasonable to perpetuate the story we want to tell.” Elias leans back against one of the bedposts, half turning to face Martin, as he gestures proprietarily around the room.</p>
<p>“You’ll notice the positioning of the bed away from all the walls– terribly impractical if this were a room in use, of course, but it's important to make a statement everyone can understand as soon as they enter this room, don't you think?”</p>
<p>Jon interrupts Elias before he can continue his explanation of the room’s layout and get lost in the choice of fabrics or whatever minute details he has planned for this part of his visit: “Thank you for the tour, Elias. I’d like to go back and check on my assistants now.” His voice sounds strained even to his own ears. Fortunately, it does make Elias stand back up from his seat on the bed.</p>
<p>“But Jon, aren’t you forgetting something?” Elias says with a smile that is anything but. Suddenly Jon thinks he may understand some of what Tim saw earlier.</p>
<p>“Am I?” Jon asks unkindly, and Elias’ smirk only widens.</p>
<p>“We don’t yet know if <em> you </em> are our Sleeping Beauty’s hero, Jon!” Elias exclaims, and Jon can only stare at him in dawning horror. The man must have gone mad, there’s no other explanation for it. “You should kiss Martin, and see what happens– who knows, you might be the one.”</p>
<p>“No.” Jon can only stand there frozen as Elias approaches him. There’s so much he wants to say, or even to yell, at Elias and his horrid grin, but that single word is all Jon can bring himself to say.</p>
<p>Elias tsks, but doesn’t stop smirking for a moment: “Jon, I understand your dislike for this curse business, you’re a man of science. But that is exactly why you ought to try: it’s the only way to find out, empirical evidence one way or another–“</p>
<p>“I will not,” Jon interrupts Elias, barely containing his anger. “I will <em> not </em> kiss a sleeping stranger, that is– it’s <em> beyond </em> creepy. It is <em> wrong</em>. It would be wrong for me to do it, and it’s definitely wrong of you to suggest–“ he gestures angrily towards Martin, at a loss for words–“anyone do that to someone who isn’t conscious.” Jon takes a deep breath, as much to calm himself as to fight the urge to run away and tell Tim and Sasha to pack up and leave with him tonight.</p>
<p>“Besides, I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone. So I’m the wrong person to ask.” He isn’t sure why he adds that, he’s made his point already. But the words flow away from him on their own, needing to be said, needing to be heard. Needing to be understood.</p>
<p>Then he turns on his heel and marches down the stairs, intent only on getting away from this horribly opulent bedroom, and Elias’ awful smile.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For fairytale context: the sleepers are part of the original Sleeping Beauty stories, they are the castle’s inhabitants forced to sleep with the princess, so she wouldn’t be all alone when she woke. Before you do your own research into this particular fairytale, I feel I should warn you (particularly in light of the event I’m writing this for) that there is non-con mentioned in some of the old stories.</p>
<p>Next chapter: Martin’s POV, and work starts on the archives</p>
<p>What did you think so far? What do you think will happen next? Please leave a comment and let me know, I love hearing from you guys!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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